YEEs AS CATALYSTS: BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP AMONG THE YOUNG AND EMERGING EVALUATORS (YEEs) IN UGANDA.

The Global Evaluation Agenda 2016-2020 highlighted gaps in evaluation capacities, particularly among Young and Emerging Evaluators (YEEs). To address this, national Voluntary Organizations for Professional Organizations (VOPEs) were tasked with enhancing evaluation capacities, promoting quality evaluations, and fostering the development of skilled evaluators. In Uganda, this led to the creation of YEEs-Uganda, a chapter under the Uganda Evaluation Association (UEA) in 2017, with objectives to strengthen institutional capacity, professionalize YEEs, and form and strengthen YEEs networks. The program has since provided training in various M&E tools, frameworks and technologies, including SPSS, STATA, GIS, mobile data collection, among others, to bridge skills gaps. This paper explores the management, resource mobilization, challenges, and lessons learned in supporting professional development and addressing the evolving needs of M&E practitioners in Uganda. Key words: Management, Resource Mobilization, Professional Pathways, YEE-Uganda,